Son of John Lawrence Larson (1880 Norway - ?) and Christine Nelson (1878 Sweden - 1971 California).
Clifford Lawrence Larsen, an engineer, served with the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company (AG&P) in Manila, Philippines.
In December 1941, less than a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Clifford Larson, a contracting engineer and ten-year Philippine resident married Emily Theodosia Salmon, living with her family in Manila. With the sound of guns south of Manila in the background they were married in the city's Union church. Emily was a soloist in the Youth choir at church.
They were the last couple to be married at Union church. Within a few days the Japanese invaded the island and the couple, married just two week, were placed in the Santo Tomas internment camp. Union church was used by the invaders for a munitions center.
With over 3000 British and American citizens, including Emily's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Salmon (Charles was head of the Insular Life Insurance Company in Manila), her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Black and son, Charles, the couple spent the next three years in the camp.
Two days before Christmas, 1944, Clifford Larsen, along with three other Americans was arrested by the Japanese.
Sadly for Clifford and his family, it is pretty clear the Japanese mistakenly arrested the wrong man. Christian Larsen was the man the Japanese wanted, but they mistakenly arrested Clifford Larsen who was innocent of any charges. Clifford Larsen apparently had no relationship with the other four men.
His wife, Emily Larsen writes in her diary, "On December 23, they came for Grinnell, Duggleby and Johnson...and they took my Cliff. No one ever knew why. He was a good and quiet man who never harmed anyone...many people at camp said that it was Chris Larsen, not Cliff Larsen, who was involved in some illegal activity. He had been involved with illegal radios with Grinnell, Duggleby and Johnson, but my Cliff suffered for Chris's activities. A group of prisoners went to the Japanese Commandant to explain that they had the wrong man, but no one would listen to them. The Japs would never admit to having made a mistake."
23 December 1944 - Santo Tomas Internment Camp
23 December "started ominously for the Camp, when the Commandants staff and guards made a surprise search of Shanty Area B at roll call time...Mr. E. E. Johnson was arrested about 3 p.m. and presumably taken out of Camp for investigation; Mr. C.C. Grinnell, A.F. Duggleby and Clifford L. Larsen were arrested later and held in the Commandant's office until after 7 p.m. when they were lodged in the Camp jail. The shanties of these four internees were thoroughly searched by the military police and soldiers and also Mr. Duggleby's sleeping quarters in the Finance and Supply office. No indication was given as to the reason for their arrests."
"This afternoon about 15 Jap M.P.'s came into camp & tore the place apart – Grinnell, the head of the camp and Duggleleby, one of the camp's leaders were thrown into jail – No one knows why – But I have my suspicions & they center around getting news outside as to the terrible conditions which prevail here – And they are terrible –" Source: Diary of Albert E. Holland, internee
On the night of 23 December, Carroll C. Grinnell, Chairman of the Internees Committee and Alfred F. Duggleby, head of the Family Aid Committee, together with Ernest E. Johnson who works in Grenell's office and a man by the name of Clifford L. Larsen, were imprisoned in the camp jail by the Japanese Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) for reasons which were never made clear even to the local Japanese staff. Grenell's office and shanty were sealed. A number of papers were taken from Duggelby's office. Source: Diary of Raymond Leyerly, former chief of police of Manila and internee at Santo Tomas.
05 January 1945
In the afternoon of 05 January, Carroll, Duggleby and Larsen were removed from the camp to an unknown destination.
14 January 1945
The minutes of the Internee Committee have the following statement under date of Jan 14, 1945: "In response to inquiries made by the Committee, the Commandant's office advised that they had no information as to the whereabouts of the three internees removed from camp by the military police on Jan. 5th...."
"No information was ever given to the Camp authorities with respect to the charges for which these men were imprisoned".
On or about 15 January 1945
The four men were executed by the Japanese Kempeitai (just weeks before the camp was liberated).
Four men executed:
Carroll Calkins Grinnell – General Electric
Alfred Francis Duggleby – Benguet Consolidated Mining Company
Ernest Emil Johnson – United States Maritime Commission
Clifford Lawrence Larsen – Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company
03 February 1945
Santo Tomas Prison internees were freed by the U.S. Army.
After their release Tom Poole and Charles Schelke ( Schelke was general manager at G.E.) and Lt. E. Thor Johnson, U.S.N. (son of Ernest E. Johnson), stationed in Manila, began searching to find out what had happened to the four men.
After a number of dead ends, the breakthrough came after meeting with Dr. Antonio Sison who informed them that he had been imprisoned with Ernest E. Johnson at the Japanese Military Police Headquarters in the former home of Dr. Paldomero Roxas, on the corner of Calle Cortabitarte and A. Mabini in Malate. Dr. Antonio Sison was released on 02 January 1945 and said that he learned after his release that the others had been executed.
19 February 1945
The men went to the Headquarters of the Japanese Military Police building and searched room by room but found no evidence of any of the four men having been there. A Filipino who had been imprisoned there told them that many of the executions had been conducted in the nearby field across Cortabitarte Street. They briefly searched the area but found nothing.
20 February 1945
They returned to the site and began a careful search of the nearby field (near Harrison Park) and that is where Tom Poole found Carroll's body, from which he removed a shoe and sock. "He, Miss Davis (Carroll's secretary), the camp shoe repairman, and I (Charles Schelke) identified these articles as Carroll's."
21 February 1945
Tom Poole and Charles Schelke returned to the spot and found fourteen bodies wired together in groups of a few each. They removed the bodies of Grinnell, Duggleby, Johnson and Larson from the pit in which they had been buried after their execution (they had been beheaded and showed signs of having been tortured) and brought them to Santo Tomas. At Santo Tomas the bodies were positively identified by individuals familiar with them.
22 February 1945
A medical examination of the four bodies was made by Dr. T. O. Stevenson on 22 February 1945. The condition of the bodies indicated that death had occurred on our about 15 January 1945. They had been dead about one month and would have been executed just two weeks before Santo Tomas was liberated.
After the medical examination was completed, they were placed in separate wooden boxes and buried at the east corner of the Seminary Building, University of Santo Tomas, at 4:00 p.m., 22 February 1945. Markers, bearing the name of each individual, were put in place.
"A burial site was approved by Father Tascon, the father provincial of Santo Tomas. This concession to a Protestant by this strict Dominican order testifies to the esteem with which they were regarded by the university authorities, since the site of Santo Tomas was consecrated by Rome. The father himself blessed the graves, and then permitted the holding of a Protestant memorial service. Dr. F. W. Brush officiated at the service, simple and beautiful. Their bodies lie in what in known as the 'Father's garden', a beautiful and peaceful spot. Temporary markers have been placed on the graves of these men. Source: Appeal Democrat (Marysville, California), Saturday, 04 August 1945, page 4.
After liberation, Emily Larsen writes, "My major concern was to find out where Cliff was and what had happened to the four men who were removed from the camp jail. Johnson's son, Lieutenant E. Thor Johnson, and two of Grinnell's company executives started the search. It led them to Dr. Antonio Sison; the information he gave them led to a mass grave with the bodies of Cliff, the other three men and two unidentified corpses. Cliff was wearing blue argyle sox I had knitted for him." The bodies of the four men were found on 21 February 1945 near Harrison Park.
Later, the government of Manila requested the four family's permission to rebury them in a place of honor in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Thus with the blessing of his widow, Emily (now Mrs. John Chappelle), Clifford Lawrence Larsen was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot G, Row 3, Grave 11. The four men were buried in a row.
On Monday, 11 August 1947, Emily Salmon Larsen married John Frederick Chappelle in the parsonage of the First Congregational Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Clifford Lawrence Larsen, an engineer, served with the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company (AG&P) in Manila, Philippines.
In December 1941, less than a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Clifford Larson, a contracting engineer and ten-year Philippine resident married Emily Theodosia Salmon, living with her family in Manila. With the sound of guns south of Manila in the background they were married in the city's Union church. Emily was a soloist in the Youth choir at church.
They were the last couple to be married at Union church. Within a few days the Japanese invaded the island and the couple, married just two week, were placed in the Santo Tomas internment camp. Union church was used by the invaders for a munitions center.
With over 3000 British and American citizens, including Emily's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Salmon (Charles was head of the Insular Life Insurance Company in Manila), her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Black and son, Charles, the couple spent the next three years in the camp.
Two days before Christmas, 1944, Clifford Larsen, along with three other Americans was arrested by the Japanese.
Sadly for Clifford and his family, it is pretty clear the Japanese mistakenly arrested the wrong man. Christian Larsen was the man the Japanese wanted, but they mistakenly arrested Clifford Larsen who was innocent of any charges. Clifford Larsen apparently had no relationship with the other four men.
His wife, Emily Larsen writes in her diary, "On December 23, they came for Grinnell, Duggleby and Johnson...and they took my Cliff. No one ever knew why. He was a good and quiet man who never harmed anyone...many people at camp said that it was Chris Larsen, not Cliff Larsen, who was involved in some illegal activity. He had been involved with illegal radios with Grinnell, Duggleby and Johnson, but my Cliff suffered for Chris's activities. A group of prisoners went to the Japanese Commandant to explain that they had the wrong man, but no one would listen to them. The Japs would never admit to having made a mistake."
23 December 1944 - Santo Tomas Internment Camp
23 December "started ominously for the Camp, when the Commandants staff and guards made a surprise search of Shanty Area B at roll call time...Mr. E. E. Johnson was arrested about 3 p.m. and presumably taken out of Camp for investigation; Mr. C.C. Grinnell, A.F. Duggleby and Clifford L. Larsen were arrested later and held in the Commandant's office until after 7 p.m. when they were lodged in the Camp jail. The shanties of these four internees were thoroughly searched by the military police and soldiers and also Mr. Duggleby's sleeping quarters in the Finance and Supply office. No indication was given as to the reason for their arrests."
"This afternoon about 15 Jap M.P.'s came into camp & tore the place apart – Grinnell, the head of the camp and Duggleleby, one of the camp's leaders were thrown into jail – No one knows why – But I have my suspicions & they center around getting news outside as to the terrible conditions which prevail here – And they are terrible –" Source: Diary of Albert E. Holland, internee
On the night of 23 December, Carroll C. Grinnell, Chairman of the Internees Committee and Alfred F. Duggleby, head of the Family Aid Committee, together with Ernest E. Johnson who works in Grenell's office and a man by the name of Clifford L. Larsen, were imprisoned in the camp jail by the Japanese Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) for reasons which were never made clear even to the local Japanese staff. Grenell's office and shanty were sealed. A number of papers were taken from Duggelby's office. Source: Diary of Raymond Leyerly, former chief of police of Manila and internee at Santo Tomas.
05 January 1945
In the afternoon of 05 January, Carroll, Duggleby and Larsen were removed from the camp to an unknown destination.
14 January 1945
The minutes of the Internee Committee have the following statement under date of Jan 14, 1945: "In response to inquiries made by the Committee, the Commandant's office advised that they had no information as to the whereabouts of the three internees removed from camp by the military police on Jan. 5th...."
"No information was ever given to the Camp authorities with respect to the charges for which these men were imprisoned".
On or about 15 January 1945
The four men were executed by the Japanese Kempeitai (just weeks before the camp was liberated).
Four men executed:
Carroll Calkins Grinnell – General Electric
Alfred Francis Duggleby – Benguet Consolidated Mining Company
Ernest Emil Johnson – United States Maritime Commission
Clifford Lawrence Larsen – Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company
03 February 1945
Santo Tomas Prison internees were freed by the U.S. Army.
After their release Tom Poole and Charles Schelke ( Schelke was general manager at G.E.) and Lt. E. Thor Johnson, U.S.N. (son of Ernest E. Johnson), stationed in Manila, began searching to find out what had happened to the four men.
After a number of dead ends, the breakthrough came after meeting with Dr. Antonio Sison who informed them that he had been imprisoned with Ernest E. Johnson at the Japanese Military Police Headquarters in the former home of Dr. Paldomero Roxas, on the corner of Calle Cortabitarte and A. Mabini in Malate. Dr. Antonio Sison was released on 02 January 1945 and said that he learned after his release that the others had been executed.
19 February 1945
The men went to the Headquarters of the Japanese Military Police building and searched room by room but found no evidence of any of the four men having been there. A Filipino who had been imprisoned there told them that many of the executions had been conducted in the nearby field across Cortabitarte Street. They briefly searched the area but found nothing.
20 February 1945
They returned to the site and began a careful search of the nearby field (near Harrison Park) and that is where Tom Poole found Carroll's body, from which he removed a shoe and sock. "He, Miss Davis (Carroll's secretary), the camp shoe repairman, and I (Charles Schelke) identified these articles as Carroll's."
21 February 1945
Tom Poole and Charles Schelke returned to the spot and found fourteen bodies wired together in groups of a few each. They removed the bodies of Grinnell, Duggleby, Johnson and Larson from the pit in which they had been buried after their execution (they had been beheaded and showed signs of having been tortured) and brought them to Santo Tomas. At Santo Tomas the bodies were positively identified by individuals familiar with them.
22 February 1945
A medical examination of the four bodies was made by Dr. T. O. Stevenson on 22 February 1945. The condition of the bodies indicated that death had occurred on our about 15 January 1945. They had been dead about one month and would have been executed just two weeks before Santo Tomas was liberated.
After the medical examination was completed, they were placed in separate wooden boxes and buried at the east corner of the Seminary Building, University of Santo Tomas, at 4:00 p.m., 22 February 1945. Markers, bearing the name of each individual, were put in place.
"A burial site was approved by Father Tascon, the father provincial of Santo Tomas. This concession to a Protestant by this strict Dominican order testifies to the esteem with which they were regarded by the university authorities, since the site of Santo Tomas was consecrated by Rome. The father himself blessed the graves, and then permitted the holding of a Protestant memorial service. Dr. F. W. Brush officiated at the service, simple and beautiful. Their bodies lie in what in known as the 'Father's garden', a beautiful and peaceful spot. Temporary markers have been placed on the graves of these men. Source: Appeal Democrat (Marysville, California), Saturday, 04 August 1945, page 4.
After liberation, Emily Larsen writes, "My major concern was to find out where Cliff was and what had happened to the four men who were removed from the camp jail. Johnson's son, Lieutenant E. Thor Johnson, and two of Grinnell's company executives started the search. It led them to Dr. Antonio Sison; the information he gave them led to a mass grave with the bodies of Cliff, the other three men and two unidentified corpses. Cliff was wearing blue argyle sox I had knitted for him." The bodies of the four men were found on 21 February 1945 near Harrison Park.
Later, the government of Manila requested the four family's permission to rebury them in a place of honor in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Thus with the blessing of his widow, Emily (now Mrs. John Chappelle), Clifford Lawrence Larsen was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot G, Row 3, Grave 11. The four men were buried in a row.
On Monday, 11 August 1947, Emily Salmon Larsen married John Frederick Chappelle in the parsonage of the First Congregational Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Son of John Lawrence Larson (1880 Norway - ?) and Christine Nelson (1878 Sweden - 1971 California).
Clifford Lawrence Larsen, an engineer, served with the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company (AG&P) in Manila, Philippines.
In December 1941, less than a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Clifford Larson, a contracting engineer and ten-year Philippine resident married Emily Theodosia Salmon, living with her family in Manila. With the sound of guns south of Manila in the background they were married in the city's Union church. Emily was a soloist in the Youth choir at church.
They were the last couple to be married at Union church. Within a few days the Japanese invaded the island and the couple, married just two week, were placed in the Santo Tomas internment camp. Union church was used by the invaders for a munitions center.
With over 3000 British and American citizens, including Emily's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Salmon (Charles was head of the Insular Life Insurance Company in Manila), her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Black and son, Charles, the couple spent the next three years in the camp.
Two days before Christmas, 1944, Clifford Larsen, along with three other Americans was arrested by the Japanese.
Sadly for Clifford and his family, it is pretty clear the Japanese mistakenly arrested the wrong man. Christian Larsen was the man the Japanese wanted, but they mistakenly arrested Clifford Larsen who was innocent of any charges. Clifford Larsen apparently had no relationship with the other four men.
His wife, Emily Larsen writes in her diary, "On December 23, they came for Grinnell, Duggleby and Johnson...and they took my Cliff. No one ever knew why. He was a good and quiet man who never harmed anyone...many people at camp said that it was Chris Larsen, not Cliff Larsen, who was involved in some illegal activity. He had been involved with illegal radios with Grinnell, Duggleby and Johnson, but my Cliff suffered for Chris's activities. A group of prisoners went to the Japanese Commandant to explain that they had the wrong man, but no one would listen to them. The Japs would never admit to having made a mistake."
23 December 1944 - Santo Tomas Internment Camp
23 December "started ominously for the Camp, when the Commandants staff and guards made a surprise search of Shanty Area B at roll call time...Mr. E. E. Johnson was arrested about 3 p.m. and presumably taken out of Camp for investigation; Mr. C.C. Grinnell, A.F. Duggleby and Clifford L. Larsen were arrested later and held in the Commandant's office until after 7 p.m. when they were lodged in the Camp jail. The shanties of these four internees were thoroughly searched by the military police and soldiers and also Mr. Duggleby's sleeping quarters in the Finance and Supply office. No indication was given as to the reason for their arrests."
"This afternoon about 15 Jap M.P.'s came into camp & tore the place apart – Grinnell, the head of the camp and Duggleleby, one of the camp's leaders were thrown into jail – No one knows why – But I have my suspicions & they center around getting news outside as to the terrible conditions which prevail here – And they are terrible –" Source: Diary of Albert E. Holland, internee
On the night of 23 December, Carroll C. Grinnell, Chairman of the Internees Committee and Alfred F. Duggleby, head of the Family Aid Committee, together with Ernest E. Johnson who works in Grenell's office and a man by the name of Clifford L. Larsen, were imprisoned in the camp jail by the Japanese Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) for reasons which were never made clear even to the local Japanese staff. Grenell's office and shanty were sealed. A number of papers were taken from Duggelby's office. Source: Diary of Raymond Leyerly, former chief of police of Manila and internee at Santo Tomas.
05 January 1945
In the afternoon of 05 January, Carroll, Duggleby and Larsen were removed from the camp to an unknown destination.
14 January 1945
The minutes of the Internee Committee have the following statement under date of Jan 14, 1945: "In response to inquiries made by the Committee, the Commandant's office advised that they had no information as to the whereabouts of the three internees removed from camp by the military police on Jan. 5th...."
"No information was ever given to the Camp authorities with respect to the charges for which these men were imprisoned".
On or about 15 January 1945
The four men were executed by the Japanese Kempeitai (just weeks before the camp was liberated).
Four men executed:
Carroll Calkins Grinnell – General Electric
Alfred Francis Duggleby – Benguet Consolidated Mining Company
Ernest Emil Johnson – United States Maritime Commission
Clifford Lawrence Larsen – Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company
03 February 1945
Santo Tomas Prison internees were freed by the U.S. Army.
After their release Tom Poole and Charles Schelke ( Schelke was general manager at G.E.) and Lt. E. Thor Johnson, U.S.N. (son of Ernest E. Johnson), stationed in Manila, began searching to find out what had happened to the four men.
After a number of dead ends, the breakthrough came after meeting with Dr. Antonio Sison who informed them that he had been imprisoned with Ernest E. Johnson at the Japanese Military Police Headquarters in the former home of Dr. Paldomero Roxas, on the corner of Calle Cortabitarte and A. Mabini in Malate. Dr. Antonio Sison was released on 02 January 1945 and said that he learned after his release that the others had been executed.
19 February 1945
The men went to the Headquarters of the Japanese Military Police building and searched room by room but found no evidence of any of the four men having been there. A Filipino who had been imprisoned there told them that many of the executions had been conducted in the nearby field across Cortabitarte Street. They briefly searched the area but found nothing.
20 February 1945
They returned to the site and began a careful search of the nearby field (near Harrison Park) and that is where Tom Poole found Carroll's body, from which he removed a shoe and sock. "He, Miss Davis (Carroll's secretary), the camp shoe repairman, and I (Charles Schelke) identified these articles as Carroll's."
21 February 1945
Tom Poole and Charles Schelke returned to the spot and found fourteen bodies wired together in groups of a few each. They removed the bodies of Grinnell, Duggleby, Johnson and Larson from the pit in which they had been buried after their execution (they had been beheaded and showed signs of having been tortured) and brought them to Santo Tomas. At Santo Tomas the bodies were positively identified by individuals familiar with them.
22 February 1945
A medical examination of the four bodies was made by Dr. T. O. Stevenson on 22 February 1945. The condition of the bodies indicated that death had occurred on our about 15 January 1945. They had been dead about one month and would have been executed just two weeks before Santo Tomas was liberated.
After the medical examination was completed, they were placed in separate wooden boxes and buried at the east corner of the Seminary Building, University of Santo Tomas, at 4:00 p.m., 22 February 1945. Markers, bearing the name of each individual, were put in place.
"A burial site was approved by Father Tascon, the father provincial of Santo Tomas. This concession to a Protestant by this strict Dominican order testifies to the esteem with which they were regarded by the university authorities, since the site of Santo Tomas was consecrated by Rome. The father himself blessed the graves, and then permitted the holding of a Protestant memorial service. Dr. F. W. Brush officiated at the service, simple and beautiful. Their bodies lie in what in known as the 'Father's garden', a beautiful and peaceful spot. Temporary markers have been placed on the graves of these men. Source: Appeal Democrat (Marysville, California), Saturday, 04 August 1945, page 4.
After liberation, Emily Larsen writes, "My major concern was to find out where Cliff was and what had happened to the four men who were removed from the camp jail. Johnson's son, Lieutenant E. Thor Johnson, and two of Grinnell's company executives started the search. It led them to Dr. Antonio Sison; the information he gave them led to a mass grave with the bodies of Cliff, the other three men and two unidentified corpses. Cliff was wearing blue argyle sox I had knitted for him." The bodies of the four men were found on 21 February 1945 near Harrison Park.
Later, the government of Manila requested the four family's permission to rebury them in a place of honor in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Thus with the blessing of his widow, Emily (now Mrs. John Chappelle), Clifford Lawrence Larsen was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot G, Row 3, Grave 11. The four men were buried in a row.
On Monday, 11 August 1947, Emily Salmon Larsen married John Frederick Chappelle in the parsonage of the First Congregational Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Clifford Lawrence Larsen, an engineer, served with the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company (AG&P) in Manila, Philippines.
In December 1941, less than a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Clifford Larson, a contracting engineer and ten-year Philippine resident married Emily Theodosia Salmon, living with her family in Manila. With the sound of guns south of Manila in the background they were married in the city's Union church. Emily was a soloist in the Youth choir at church.
They were the last couple to be married at Union church. Within a few days the Japanese invaded the island and the couple, married just two week, were placed in the Santo Tomas internment camp. Union church was used by the invaders for a munitions center.
With over 3000 British and American citizens, including Emily's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Salmon (Charles was head of the Insular Life Insurance Company in Manila), her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Black and son, Charles, the couple spent the next three years in the camp.
Two days before Christmas, 1944, Clifford Larsen, along with three other Americans was arrested by the Japanese.
Sadly for Clifford and his family, it is pretty clear the Japanese mistakenly arrested the wrong man. Christian Larsen was the man the Japanese wanted, but they mistakenly arrested Clifford Larsen who was innocent of any charges. Clifford Larsen apparently had no relationship with the other four men.
His wife, Emily Larsen writes in her diary, "On December 23, they came for Grinnell, Duggleby and Johnson...and they took my Cliff. No one ever knew why. He was a good and quiet man who never harmed anyone...many people at camp said that it was Chris Larsen, not Cliff Larsen, who was involved in some illegal activity. He had been involved with illegal radios with Grinnell, Duggleby and Johnson, but my Cliff suffered for Chris's activities. A group of prisoners went to the Japanese Commandant to explain that they had the wrong man, but no one would listen to them. The Japs would never admit to having made a mistake."
23 December 1944 - Santo Tomas Internment Camp
23 December "started ominously for the Camp, when the Commandants staff and guards made a surprise search of Shanty Area B at roll call time...Mr. E. E. Johnson was arrested about 3 p.m. and presumably taken out of Camp for investigation; Mr. C.C. Grinnell, A.F. Duggleby and Clifford L. Larsen were arrested later and held in the Commandant's office until after 7 p.m. when they were lodged in the Camp jail. The shanties of these four internees were thoroughly searched by the military police and soldiers and also Mr. Duggleby's sleeping quarters in the Finance and Supply office. No indication was given as to the reason for their arrests."
"This afternoon about 15 Jap M.P.'s came into camp & tore the place apart – Grinnell, the head of the camp and Duggleleby, one of the camp's leaders were thrown into jail – No one knows why – But I have my suspicions & they center around getting news outside as to the terrible conditions which prevail here – And they are terrible –" Source: Diary of Albert E. Holland, internee
On the night of 23 December, Carroll C. Grinnell, Chairman of the Internees Committee and Alfred F. Duggleby, head of the Family Aid Committee, together with Ernest E. Johnson who works in Grenell's office and a man by the name of Clifford L. Larsen, were imprisoned in the camp jail by the Japanese Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) for reasons which were never made clear even to the local Japanese staff. Grenell's office and shanty were sealed. A number of papers were taken from Duggelby's office. Source: Diary of Raymond Leyerly, former chief of police of Manila and internee at Santo Tomas.
05 January 1945
In the afternoon of 05 January, Carroll, Duggleby and Larsen were removed from the camp to an unknown destination.
14 January 1945
The minutes of the Internee Committee have the following statement under date of Jan 14, 1945: "In response to inquiries made by the Committee, the Commandant's office advised that they had no information as to the whereabouts of the three internees removed from camp by the military police on Jan. 5th...."
"No information was ever given to the Camp authorities with respect to the charges for which these men were imprisoned".
On or about 15 January 1945
The four men were executed by the Japanese Kempeitai (just weeks before the camp was liberated).
Four men executed:
Carroll Calkins Grinnell – General Electric
Alfred Francis Duggleby – Benguet Consolidated Mining Company
Ernest Emil Johnson – United States Maritime Commission
Clifford Lawrence Larsen – Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company
03 February 1945
Santo Tomas Prison internees were freed by the U.S. Army.
After their release Tom Poole and Charles Schelke ( Schelke was general manager at G.E.) and Lt. E. Thor Johnson, U.S.N. (son of Ernest E. Johnson), stationed in Manila, began searching to find out what had happened to the four men.
After a number of dead ends, the breakthrough came after meeting with Dr. Antonio Sison who informed them that he had been imprisoned with Ernest E. Johnson at the Japanese Military Police Headquarters in the former home of Dr. Paldomero Roxas, on the corner of Calle Cortabitarte and A. Mabini in Malate. Dr. Antonio Sison was released on 02 January 1945 and said that he learned after his release that the others had been executed.
19 February 1945
The men went to the Headquarters of the Japanese Military Police building and searched room by room but found no evidence of any of the four men having been there. A Filipino who had been imprisoned there told them that many of the executions had been conducted in the nearby field across Cortabitarte Street. They briefly searched the area but found nothing.
20 February 1945
They returned to the site and began a careful search of the nearby field (near Harrison Park) and that is where Tom Poole found Carroll's body, from which he removed a shoe and sock. "He, Miss Davis (Carroll's secretary), the camp shoe repairman, and I (Charles Schelke) identified these articles as Carroll's."
21 February 1945
Tom Poole and Charles Schelke returned to the spot and found fourteen bodies wired together in groups of a few each. They removed the bodies of Grinnell, Duggleby, Johnson and Larson from the pit in which they had been buried after their execution (they had been beheaded and showed signs of having been tortured) and brought them to Santo Tomas. At Santo Tomas the bodies were positively identified by individuals familiar with them.
22 February 1945
A medical examination of the four bodies was made by Dr. T. O. Stevenson on 22 February 1945. The condition of the bodies indicated that death had occurred on our about 15 January 1945. They had been dead about one month and would have been executed just two weeks before Santo Tomas was liberated.
After the medical examination was completed, they were placed in separate wooden boxes and buried at the east corner of the Seminary Building, University of Santo Tomas, at 4:00 p.m., 22 February 1945. Markers, bearing the name of each individual, were put in place.
"A burial site was approved by Father Tascon, the father provincial of Santo Tomas. This concession to a Protestant by this strict Dominican order testifies to the esteem with which they were regarded by the university authorities, since the site of Santo Tomas was consecrated by Rome. The father himself blessed the graves, and then permitted the holding of a Protestant memorial service. Dr. F. W. Brush officiated at the service, simple and beautiful. Their bodies lie in what in known as the 'Father's garden', a beautiful and peaceful spot. Temporary markers have been placed on the graves of these men. Source: Appeal Democrat (Marysville, California), Saturday, 04 August 1945, page 4.
After liberation, Emily Larsen writes, "My major concern was to find out where Cliff was and what had happened to the four men who were removed from the camp jail. Johnson's son, Lieutenant E. Thor Johnson, and two of Grinnell's company executives started the search. It led them to Dr. Antonio Sison; the information he gave them led to a mass grave with the bodies of Cliff, the other three men and two unidentified corpses. Cliff was wearing blue argyle sox I had knitted for him." The bodies of the four men were found on 21 February 1945 near Harrison Park.
Later, the government of Manila requested the four family's permission to rebury them in a place of honor in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial. Thus with the blessing of his widow, Emily (now Mrs. John Chappelle), Clifford Lawrence Larsen was buried in his final resting place in the 7701 Ft. McKinley Cemetery (now known as the Manila American Cemetery) – Plot G, Row 3, Grave 11. The four men were buried in a row.
On Monday, 11 August 1947, Emily Salmon Larsen married John Frederick Chappelle in the parsonage of the First Congregational Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Gravesite Details
Civilian from Florida.
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